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Mass. Judge says he will decide by Monday whether state erred in rejecting premium increases

A Suffolk Superior Court judge today "promised to make a decision by Monday afternoon in a high-stakes showdown between the [Gov. Deval] Patrick administration and the state's top health insurers" over proposed premium increases rejected by the state's Division of Insurance, the Boston Herald reports (McConville, 4/8).

9 Apr 2010

Fewer babies face health risks of early birth

The nation's preterm birth rate dropped for the second consecutive year.

7 Apr 2010

MDA, FFSHR award $200,000 grant for developing FSH dystrophy therapy

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), headquartered in Tucson, Ariz., and Friends of FSH Research (FFSHR), based in Kirkland, Wash., has jointly awarded a two-year, $200,000 grant to Dr. Joel Chamberlain, a research assistant professor of medical genetics at the University of Washington. The grant, equally funded by the two organizations, will enable the laboratory led by Dr. Chamberlain to study RNA interference as an investigative and therapeutic tool for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.

7 Apr 2010

University of Minnesota offers Hearing Conservation and one-day refresher courses

The University of Minnesota's Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety is offering a Hearing Conservation course on April 21-23, 2010, designed for hearing conservation technicians and occupational health professionals seeking certification as an Occupational Hearing Conservationist.

6 Apr 2010

Comprehensive cardiac health study provides superior results

Kenneth "Buddy" Conant hit some clothing stores for a little shopping spree recently, but it wasn't because he'd suddenly become enthralled with the latest fashions. The truth was, he was starting to resemble a kid wearing a grown man's clothes.

6 Apr 2010

Washington, D.C, hosts 7th Annual World Health Care Congress

With the most sweeping changes to national health care policy now law, the 7th World Health Care Congress will feature the first post-reform gathering of the nation's top health care executives from all industry sectors.

5 Apr 2010

Research may help develop new ways to diagnose and treat communication disorders

An international research consortium has identified more than 800 genes that appear to play a role in the male zebra finch's ability to learn elaborate songs from his father. The researchers also found evidence that song behavior engages complex gene regulatory networks within the brain of the songbird- networks that rely on parts of the genome once considered junk.

5 Apr 2010

Lyric invisible extended wear hearing device helps judo olympian hear opponent's breathing

When Grace Jividen competed in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, she couldn't hear her opponent's breathing, which she believes could have given her the edge in her judo competitions. Now, the former member of the 1992 U.S. women's judo team and holder of more than 41 medals from international competitions and a sixth degree black belt has the edge she was looking for thanks to Lyric, the world's first 100 percent invisible extended wear hearing device.

3 Apr 2010

Free hearing conservation clinics to be held in Chicago

3M, E-A-R and Peltor Hearing Conservation Clinics are being held on April 13, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The clinics offer an extensive education in hearing-loss prevention for industrial settings.

3 Apr 2010

Genome of Australian zebra finch decoded

Nearly all animals make sounds instinctively, but baby songbirds learn to sing in virtually the same way human infants learn to speak: by imitating a parent.

2 Apr 2010

Researchers identify link between genetic mutation and schizophrenia

In what may provide the most compelling evidence to date, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have illuminated how a genetic variant may lead to schizophrenia by causing a disruption in communication between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex regions of the brain, areas believed to be responsible for carrying out working memory.

2 Apr 2010

AARP Idaho unveils list of winners and losers of 2010 legislative session

With the 2010 Idaho legislative session drawing to a close, the dust has settled on several key pieces of legislation that deliver good news and bad news for people across the state. Today, AARP Idaho unveiled its list of "2010 Legislative Session Winners and Losers," highlighting bills that either help or hurt Idahoans.

31 Mar 2010

GenVec announces discontinuation of TNFerade PACT trial for pancreatic cancer

GenVec, Inc. announced today that it is discontinuing its Phase 3 clinical trial of TNFerade™ in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer based on results of an interim analysis. This interim analysis of overall survival, conducted after the 184th death (two-thirds of total expected events), was designed to determine whether the study should continue.

30 Mar 2010

Today's OpEds: The states' lawsuits, the need to trim health costs and industry winners

No sooner had President Obama signed comprehensive health care reform than the attorneys general of 14 states scurried to the federal courts to challenge the law. ... [they] are doing a disservice to their constituents by opposing Medicaid expansion and a mandate that everyone buy insurance, with subsidies for low- and middle-income people (3/28).

29 Mar 2010

Medical communications expert honored with 2010 "40 Under Forty" award

Medical communications expert Alicia Lane-Outlaw has been recognized in part for her rare expertise in making websites accessible to people with disabilities as well as mobile phone users.

29 Mar 2010

Dian Donnai receives March of Dimes/Colonel Harland Sanders Award for achievement in genetic sciences

A pioneering professor and investigator at the forefront of genetic services in the United Kingdom and who helped define rare genetic diseases is the 2010 recipient of the March of Dimes/Colonel Harland Sanders Award for lifetime achievement in the field of genetic sciences.

27 Mar 2010

Indoor tanning devices: AADA testifies before FDA panel on needed classification changes and calls for ban

American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA) President and dermatologist William D. James, MD, FAAD, along with other dermatologists and leading researchers today testified before a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel considering changes to the current classification of indoor tanning devices. Currently, the FDA classifies indoor tanning devices as Class 1, the category for items that have minimal potential to cause harm to individuals. Items in Class 1 include adhesive bandages and tongue depressors.

27 Mar 2010

ITC Judge rules in favor of Knowles Electronics on ADI’s microphone packages infringement issue

Knowles Electronics announced today that Judge Rogers of the International Trade Commission (ITC) issued his Initial Determination in which he found that Knowles was likely to succeed in showing that its patents cover Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) MEMS microphone products.

26 Mar 2010

Committee recommends inclusion of genetic diseases in newborn screening program

The experts who make recommendations for genetic disease screening in newborns face a challenging task: To make conclusions based on the most authoritative available evidence, while considering gaps in the research on such rare conditions, as well as their human impact. An overview of the steps followed by the expert panels tasked with making these recommendations is presented in a special section of the current issue of Genetics in Medicine, the official peer-reviewed journal of The American College of Medical Genetics.

25 Mar 2010

Industry continues to give thumbs up to overhaul

On Tuesday, "[p]rovider groups hailed the president's historic signing of the Senate's healthcare reform bill, which seeks to overhaul the healthcare system through the establishment of a new insurance marketplace, expansions to Medicaid and various insurance reforms," Modern Healthcare reports.